Clutch for electric lamps



(No Model.)

0. B. NOBLE.

GLUTGH POE ELECTRIC LAMPS.

N0. 346,217. Patented July 27, 1886.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, Pholo-Lfihugnphel, wminpon, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

CLARENCE 3. NOBLE, OE CLEVELAND, OHlO.

CLUTCH FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

El ECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,217, dated July 27, 1886.

(No molel.)

.To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CLARENCE l3. NOBLE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cnyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches for Electric Lamps; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved clutch for electric-arc lamps, and it consists in eertain features of construction and in combination of parts,herci nutter described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations, partly in section, of my improved clutch and attachments,showing,

respectively, different working positions of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation in plan of the clutch. Fig. is an enlarged detail hereinafter described.

A and B are the carbons of an elcctriclamp, and are connected in an electric circuitin the usual manner, as is also the helix C.

D is the nppercarl.)on holder, the same consisting of a hollow cylinder or tube, to the lower end. of which is attached the carbon A, any suitable means for such attachment being employed. The holder passes through suitable guidcsas, for instance, E and Fand is arranged to move easilyin a vertical direction.

G is the clutch-disk, that when laying in a position at right angles to the interior of the holder moves easily therein; but owing to the thickness of the disk,when thelattcris tilted, it clutches or binds on the interior walls of the holder. One side of the diskis suspended by a tripping'wire, g, the latter being attached above to some stationary support-as, for instance, the lamp-frame-by means of which this side of the disk is tripped up when it descends with the carbon-holder on the increase of resistance of the circuit to make the disk assume a position at right angles to the inte rior of the holder, and allow the holder to slide by gravity over it and the carbons to approach each other. The opposite side of the disk is supported by a wire, I, that is attached above to the core or armature c of the helix C. It follows, then, that with the carbons in contact or in close proximity there will be little resistaneein the circuit, and consequently considerable magnetic force in the helix C, by reason of which the core 0 will be elevated. By reason of the wire-connection l the disk G will be tilted, causing it to assume the angular position shown in Fig. 2, and make it clutch the holder and lift it, with the holder and upper carbon,atritle, more orless, according to the adjustment of the stops 0' and c, that limit the vertical movement of the core. By the preceding arrangement the carbons will be separated a suitable working distance, and so held for the time being.

As the carbons waste away, and the resistancein the circuit consequently becomes greater, and the magnetic force in the helix becomes less, the core 0 descends, as do also the holder and disk, until the disk reaches the trippingwire, from which it started,when it is tripped and made to assumea position at right angles to the interior of the carbon-holder, thereby releasing its impingement against the interior of the holder, and allowing the holder to slide by gravity over the disk and the carbons to feed.

A convenient means of attaching the wires 9 and I to the disk G is shown in Fig. 3,where notches G are made in the edges of the disk for the passage of the respective wires, and lateral holes are cut in the disk to receive the bent ends of the wires, as shown at C In Fig. 4 the wire I is shown connected in the manner just describcd,while the wire 9 is shown hooked under the bottom of the disk. These and various modifications may be had. without departing from the spirit and design of my invention.

It will be seen that the clutch is extremely simple, and can be made at a small initial cost, and in practice is found el'licient and in every way desirable.

Atightjoint may be placed on the lower end of the carbon-holder, so that any suitable lubricant may be kept therein.

What I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a clutch for electric-are lamps, a vertically-moving hollow carbon-holder, containing within itself a loosely-fitting tilting friction disk held stationary on .one side by a wire or red, also contained within the holder, and attached above to the lamp-frame, with the opposite side of the disk supported by a wire or red contained within the holder, and

- and feeding the carbons, the said wires passing up through the holder andbeing connected, one with the lamp-frame, the other with the armature-core of the helix, said helix being in electric circuit with the lamp-carbons, the parts being arranged substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a clutch for electricarc lamps, of a hollow earbon-holder,a1oosely-fitting clutch-disk operating therein and supported on opposite sides by wires passing up through said holder, one wire or red supporting one side of the disk and attached above to lamp-frame, with the other wire or red supporting the opposite side of the disk and attached above to the armature or core of the helix, said helix being electrically connected in circuit with the lamp-carbons, for 5 tilting the disk and causing it to impinge against the inside of carbon-holder to grip and elevate it, and adjustable stops to limit the up Ward movement of the helix-core, for regulating the length of the are, all the parts being arranged substantially as and for the purposes shown.

4. The combination, in clutches for electricarc lamps, of a hollow carbon-holder, D, and wires I and g, forrespectively tilting and trip- 5 ping the disk G, to tighten and loosen its grip on the inside of the carbon-holder, for separating andfeeding the carbons, the said wires passing up through the holder, and being connected above 9 with the lamp-frame, and I with the helix or armature-core c of the helix CLARENCE B. NOBLE. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. DORER, ALBERT E. LYNCH. 

